Practical
Plants

Opuntia imbricata

Tree Chola

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Cactaceae
Genus
Opuntia
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Height
3 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

The plant has numerous minutely barbed glochids (hairs) that are easily dislodged when the plant is touched and they then become stuck to the skin where they are difficult to see and remove. They can cause considerable discomfort[3].

Edible uses

Pads - cooked or raw[6]. Watery and very mucilaginous[9]. The prickles on the skin must be carefully removed before eating the pads. The young pads can be split lengthways then dried and stored for winter use[6]. Fruit - raw, cooked or dried for later use[6]. Sweet and gelatinous[9]. Lean and insipid[11]. The unripe fruits can be added to soups etc, imparting an okra-like mucilaginous quality[2]. The fruit can hang on the plant all year round[1]. Be careful of the plants irritant hairs, see the notes above on toxicity. The fruits of O. imbricata are dry, about 3cm in diameter and usually free of spines[3][4]. Seed - briefly roasted then ground into a powder[7]. It is also used as a thickener[7].

Plant part
Fruit
Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Seed

Material uses

The fruit is chopped into small pieces, boiled and then the fibre and seed is filtered out. The resulting liquid is used as a mordant for dyes[4]. The thorns have been used as a sewing material and for tattooing[6]. The dried stems have been used as candles and torches[6]. The following notes are for O. ficus indica. They almost certainly also apply to this species[K]. A gum is obtained from the stem. It is used as a masticatory or mixed with oil to make candles[8]. The juice of the boiled stem segments is very sticky. It is added to plaster, whitewash etc to make it adhere better to walls[10].

Product or use
Gum
Product or use
Lighting
Product or use
Mordant
Product or use
Needles

Environment

Range
South-western N. America.
Habitat
Sandy to gravelly soils[5].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
low
Hardiness
Zone 9+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a very well-drained compost in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first two winters. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Give the plants some protection from winter wet. Make sure you have some reserve plants in case those outdoors do not overwinter. Cuttings of leaf pads at any time in the growing season. Remove a pad from the plant and then leave it in a dry sunny place for a couple of days to ensure that the base is thoroughly dry and has begun to callous. Pot up into a sandy compost. Very easy, rooting quickly.

Cultivation

Requires a sandy or very well-drained soil[1]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 to 7.5[3]. Plants must be kept fairly dry in the winter but they like a reasonable supply of water in the growing season[3]. A position at the base of a south-facing wall or somewhere that can be protected from winter rain is best for this plant. Requires warmth and plenty of sun. Plants tolerate considerable neglect. This species is fairly cold tolerant and can succeed outdoors in a selected site in the milder areas of the country[3].

References

  1. Natural Food Institute, Wonder Crops. 1987.

    ↩1↩2

  2. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩

  3. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  4. Vines. R.A. Trees of North Texas University of Texas Press. 1982-00-00 ISBN 0292780206

    ↩1↩2

  5. McGregor. R. L. & Barkley. T. M. Flora of the Great Plains. University Press of Kansas. 1986-00-00 ISBN 070060295x

    ↩

  6. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  7. Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982-00-00 ISBN 0442222009

    ↩1↩2

  8. Howes. F. N. Vegetable Gums and Resins. Faber

    ↩

  9. Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967-00-00 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9

    ↩1↩2

  10. Balls. E. K. Early Uses of Californian Plants. University of California Press 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-520-00072-2

    ↩

  11. Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-486-23310-3

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